Print

Mail

wiki links

Local differences key to improving Aboriginal welfare

Government officials yesterday admitted they needed to explain their policies more clearly to Aboriginal people, introduce educational measures to fortify welfare programs and be sensitive to indigenous cultures.

Aborigines often did not know about the existence of welfare programs available to them, or were intimidated by the complexity of the application process, said Chiu Ju-na (邱汝娜), director of the Department of Social Affairs, during a conference on Aboriginal welfare yesterday convened by the Council of Indigenous Peoples.

"The Aboriginal tribes often have different concepts of poverty compared to those of Han people, and their traditional cultures also have problems connecting with the support systems of [Han] government and society," she said.

"Aboriginal people are usually reluctant to get in touch with the government, and their [remote] location also prevents them from accessing relevant information. They often know little about their rights and the welfare they are entitled to," she said.

Chiu said that policies relating to Aboriginal people should be more closely modeled on indigenous cultures and the specific needs of Aboriginal people.

The government would then be more flexible and able to provide a comprehensive service to people in remote areas, she said.

The conference emphasized problems faced by Aboriginal women, including domestic violence and high unemployment.

One official stressed the need to improve the employment rate for Aboriginal women, saying it was preferable to hold programs and job training within Aboriginal communities to meet the needs of Aboriginal women.

"It would be ideal if Aboriginal women could be helped to find employment in their home communities through establishing a market for agricultural products," said Sun Pi-hsia (孫碧霞), deputy director of the Employment and Vocational Training Administration.
This story has been viewed 1833 times.